5.21.2009

Things I Bought Thursday…

So I realize it’s a bit odd to follow a post about having less stuff with one telling you what I just bought, but I warned you it was a complex relationship, so you’ll just have to roll with me.

In matters of spending it’s been a bit a “foodie” week… It started innocently enough -- I swung by the bookstore last week to grab some reading material for the long drive down to the coast and ended up leaving with Alice Waters and Chez Panisse and Best Food Writing 2008. Totally caught up in the story of Waters and itching to cook, a few days later I bought her daughter Fanny’s cookbook/memoir of growing up in the Chez Panisse world and one of Water’s cookbooks, The Art of Simple Food.

Sensing a theme here?

Actually the theme has been brewing for a while, as after getting my subscription to Gourmet, readingA Homemade Life and then tearing through The Tenth Muse during our spring beach trip, I’ve been a bit, well… obsessed with food writing. Which is ironic really, as I’m constantly making fun of my husband for his habit of latching onto a subject, say the history of plastic (I’m not kidding) and then reading every book, article, Wikipedia entry, etc…that exists on the topic until he’s sufficiently satiated.

I get it now Bryan…

Oh and I also bought two new saucepans, as you can’t read loads of food writing without wanting to cook, and you can’t cook without pots…and my husband (sweet thing that he is) burned both of my saucepans while boiling sugar water (don’t ask.) So while the books were a bit of a virtuous luxury, the pans were a necessity…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

There's always the library, which usually has a great crop of food memoirs and cookbooks. Then if you really love it and want it as reference, you can buy it (used, from Amazon perhaps?). And you can place books on hold (reserve) so you know it'll be there waiting for you when you go to the library - they'll send you an email when it's ready for pickup.

I am going to treat myself to the Art of Simple food...as I am a secret foodie...I could dine in restaurants 24/7 and wish there were another parallel 24/7 to try and cook divine foods from my also fave magazine "Gournmet"...Char.Oh, I am having a little giveaway on my blog this week...you must go see and enter:-)

I LOVE Fanny at Chez Panisse, my aunt bought that for me when I was little and it was my favorite book, I always wanted to open my own garden restaurant where you could pick fresh veggies for your meal like in the book. Totally forgot about it, thanks for the memory!

i have become a bit obsessed with food in the past few months too--and alice waters is at the top of my list! her simple food book is an awesome purchase--it is beautiful and simple and inspiring and straightforward. i would love to purchase the fanny book for myself!